Game apparatus.



H. P. ANDERSON., GAME APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED ocr. 26, e915.

Patented Apr.' 25,1916.

2v SHEETS-SHEET I.

Witnesses H. P. ANDERSON. GAME APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED 0C`T. 26. 1915. A, im MM. Patented Apr. 25, 1916. W v 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

.www "UW Witnesses Inventory m mw.. "www u w M mm HANS P. ANDERSON, F HOPE, NORTH DAKOTA.

GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 25, 1916..

Application led October 26, 1915. Serial No. 58,016.

' To all whom it may concern:

Vout of their normal positions,

parts, one of the pins or ranged a supporting Be it known that l, HANS P. ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hope, in the county of Steele and State of North Dakota, have invented a new and useful Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to game apparatus of the box ball type, wherein the pins or targets are suspended above the end portion of an alley and adapted to swing when hit by a ball.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide improved means for resetting the pins or targets after they have been shifted the resetting mechanism being operated by the player located at that end of the alley remote from the pins.

A further object is to provide a novel arrangement of targets or pins whereby it is rendered more difficult to strike all of the said pins or targets and shift them out of -their normal positions.

' 'means whereby the game is rendered prac- Another object is to provide cushioning tically noiseless.

With the foregoing and view which will appear as proceeds, bination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

ln the accompanying drawingsvthe preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings :Figure 1 is a side erlevation of the complete apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the targets or pins, their resetting apparatus, `and other adjacent targets being shown out of its normal position. Fig. 3 is a section on line A-B Fig. 2,. Fig. 4 is a section on line C-D Fig. 3. Fig.`5 is a perspective view of a portion of one of the-pin conother objects in the description trolling springs and its connection.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates an alley inclined up wardly away from one end to a substantially horizontal portion 2 above which is arframev 3. This supporting frame includes transverse beams 4 the invention resides in the comconnected by longitudinal beams 5. These longitudinal beams are parallel and are spaced apart suflicient distances to receive between them rows of pins or targets 6 preferably shaped to follow the conventional outline of a ten pin with the exception that the back portion of the pin or target is flattened. Four rows of these pins or targets are employed, there bein three pins 1n each row and the correspon ing pins of the several rows alining transversely. The transversely alining pins are mounted on pivot rods 7 extending through the longitudinal beams 5 and are adapted to swing independently upon the rods. Arranged upon the back of each pin at a point adja cent the pivot thereof is a bearing member 8 preferably forked as shown in Fig. 5 and which engages one end of a spring strip 9 the other end of which is secured to the next adjoining cross beam 4. Each spring 9 is so positioned relative to its pin or target 6 and beam 4 as to hold said pin or target in either of two positions, to wit, normal or set position, or raised or inactive position. In Fig. 3 one of the pins has been shown in raised or vinactive position, it being held there by its spring 9 while the other pins have been shown in their normal or set position where they are held by their springs 9.

Secured upon certain of the longitudinal beams v5 are stop strips 10 which extend transversely of the beams 5 and back of the upper portions of the pins 6 so as to limit the forward movement of the lower ends of the pins. These stop strips 10 may be provided with cushioning means indicated at 11 and which cushioning means may be formed of rubber, felt or other like `material.

Slidablymounted on certain of the longi tudinal beams 5 so as to extend between the rows of pins 6 are strips 12 mounted in suit-` able guides 13, these strips being arranged at the ends of a cross head 14. Springs 15 connect the front ends of the strips 12 to the front cross beam 4 and serve to hold said strips normally drawn forward. Straps 16 connect strips 12 to the adjacent pins 6 and when the stripsil2 and the pins are in their normal positions, these straps will hang loose as shown in Fig. 3.

Connected to the cross head 14 is an actuating cord 17 ment which sheaves 18 suitably n inclined floorsections 24.

' in each row.v The game to a lever 20 arranged where it can be conveniently grasped and actuated by' "the player. By pulling on this lever motionwill be transmitted through the flexible connection 17 to the head 14 and the strips 12 will be drawn rearwardly thus pulling through straps 16 upon -all of the targets so as to swing the lower ends of the targets downwardly, thus shifting the springs 9 past their. dead centers so that they will-yield- 'ingly'hold the targets in their set'or upf standingpositions. In order to deaden the sound lproduced by balls striking the pins, cushions 21 are placed upon the lower end portions of the pins.` These cushions also serve to engage the cross beams 4 and reduce the sound produced by the pins shifting to their inactive positions. Additional cushioning,v means 22 may be arranged on the cams 4 for engagement bythe upper ends ofthepins6. l" l',

`A cushion 23 is loosely suspended back of thepins 6 and'is adapted to limit the movement `ofthe-:balls longitudinally of the alley after they have passed the" pins'6. This cushion 23 is suspended above inclined floor sections 24 located backrof and below the rearend of the horizontal portion 2 of the `alley and said floor sections are designed t0 direct the balls into return chutes y25 extending along the sides of the alley and from one end to the other'thereof.- Gutters 26 maybe arranged along the sides of the alley as shown for the 'reception of balls leaving the alley beforel reaching the pins so that said balls will not be capable of jumping back Onto the alley and displacing any of the pins( rlfhese gutters In orderthat the pins may beset by means ofI lever 20 without dangerofbreaking the flexible'connection 17, a coiled spring 27 isv preferably made a part off said connection vsoasto'yield during the actuation of the lever, yafter the pins havebeen set.

lIt will be noted that the pins are disposed infour parallel rows, there being three pins is played inthe same manner as ordinary box ball,7V the balls being propelled along the alley in an effort to shift all of the pins out of their normal positions totheir raised or inactivepositions. By providing the particular cushioning means described, the game can be rendered practically no iseless. large amount of noise can also be eliminated by providingthe alley with a covering ofvl linoleum or lother sound-'deadening material, as

indicatedat 28.

As before pointedout, when one of the pins is struck lit will .swing upwardly Vso as to move the bearingl 8 past its dead center andbring the spring 9 toposition to hold the pin in elevated position. As the strap 16 is'slack-when the pin-is inits normal podischarge onto the sition, it `will permitthis swinging movement ofY the pin. When it is desired to reset the pins itis merely. necessary to actuate lever 20 asbefore pointed out, whereupon the strips 12 will pull through the various straps 16 upon the pins and restore them to their normal or upstanding positions.

What is claimed is 1. (lameV apparatus including an alley, parallel rows of pins suspended above one end portiony thereof, 'there beingan equal numbervof pins in each row andthe corresponding pins the several rows alining transversely, means connected to each pin forl holding it in either of two positions, connected slidable members extending between the rows of pins, flexible connections between said members and the pins, and means for shifting said slidable members to transmit motion through the flexible connections to the pins. l

Game apparatus t including an alley, parallelrows of pins suspended above one end portion thereof,`therebeing an equal number of pins in. each row and the corresponding pins in the several rowsy alining transversely, meansy connected to each pin for holding it in either of two positions, connected sldable members extending between the rows of pins, flexible connections between said members and the pins,l means for shifting said'slidable"membersto transmit motionthrough the flexible connections to the pins, and yielding means for returning the slidable members tol their initial positions after the pins have been shifted.

3. Game apparatus including a yframe made up of transverse andI longitudinal beams, an alley extending under the frame, parallelrows of the frame, there being an equal number of pins in eachrow, thecorresponding pins of the several ro'ws alining transversely, yieldingly held strips slidablymounted upon ther frame and extending between the rows 0fpins, flexible connect1ons between said strips and the pins, anactuating lever, anda con-v nection between said lever and the slidable strips for simultaneously actuating l.said strips to shift the pins simultaneously to set positions.

4. In game apparatus, the combination with an alley and a framefextendingl over one end portion ofthe alley and'including longitudinaly and transverse beams, ofparallel rows of pins pivotally mounted between the beams,yielding means connectedto each pin for holding it in either ofE two positions', cushioning means upon thetransverse beams for engagement by the pins when shifted out of their normal positions, cushioning means carried by the lower end portions ofl the pins for engagement by a ball whenl the pins are in their normal positions and for engagement with the cross beams wheil the pins are out of their normal positions, and means for simultaneously shifting the pins into their normal positions.

5. In game apparatus, the combination with an alley and a frame extending over one end portion of the alley and including longitudinal and transverse beams, of parallel rows of pins pivotally mounted between the beams, yielding means connected to each pin for holding it in either of two positions, cushioning means upon the transverse beams for engagement by the pins when shifted out of their normal positions, cushioning means carried by the lower end portions of the pins for engagement by a ball when the pins are in their normal positions and for engagement with the cross beams when the pins are out of their normal positions, means for simultaneously shifting the pins into their normal positions, and cushioning means for engagement by the pins when in their normal positions.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereunto aiiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HANS P. ANDERSON.

Witnesses:

C. W. Moomis, C. S. MooREs.

opies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patente, Washington, D. G. 

